The once revered deliberative body of the legislative branch of our government has now dissolved into a mud slinging, name calling, carnival like atmosphere.

From the NYT:

WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 — As if there was any doubt that Congress was on the verge of devolving into a carnival atmosphere, Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the Democratic majority leader, on Thursday proposed doing cartwheels down the center aisle of the Senate chamber to draw attention to Republican efforts to block legislation. (Emphasis mine)

Here, in the Cirque du Senate, there is trash-talking, whining and finger-pointing, bickering and, occasionally, brief flashes of serious disagreement on policy.

But with the clock ticking swiftly toward the end of the year and a stack of stalled legislation piling up, little is getting done in the Senate these days. And tempers are starting to boil over.

Mr. Reid, who turned 68 on Sunday and power-walks four miles a day, ultimately did not perform any gymnastics. But his fury over the inability to move the Democrats’ legislative agenda seemed to have deepened since Tuesday, when he accused President Bush of “pulling the strings on the 49 puppets he has here in the Senate.”

These are the same men and women who have accused our President of destroying the image of the United States overseas. What must they think of the three ring circus which now defines the Senate Chamber?

I know what I think, they all need to get out of perpetual campaign mode and back to the business of the people. Of course what I think and what will be done are probably at opposite ends of the spectrum given exchanges such as the following:

Democrats blame Republican obstruction. “They are filibustering as if they are on steroids,” Mr. Reid said.

Republicans say the Democrats are to blame, for pursuing a partisan agenda. They also say Democrats call for votes to end filibusters that do not exist and, in some cases, seek to end debate on bills before debate has started.

Things are so bad between Mr. Reid and Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, that in some cases they even fight about whether they are fighting about something.

On Wednesday, Mr. Reid insisted that the Senate could not come into session until noon because Republicans would have used an earlier start to halt efforts to finalize a bill on climate change.

Mr. McConnell maintained Republicans had no such plan. “I think maybe the leader was anticipating an objection that did in fact not exist,” he said. Seizing a chance to prove Mr. Reid wrong, he offered a motion allowing work on the bill to continue.

Will the adults please stand up? If there are any left, perhaps we will see some meaningful legislation out of this session of Congress.

Left to the alternative of Senator Reid’s cartwheels…well I think I’ll just pass.

Senator Specter takes Senator Reid to task.

He goes so far as to question Mr. Reid’s abilities as Majority Leader. I would too if someone labeled me someone elses puppet.

HT:Instapundit

Check out how various Senators voted in relation to anti-pork amendments in 2007.

Today, the Club for Growth released its 2007 Senate RePORK Card, compiling a scorecard of all senators’ votes on fifteen anti-pork amendments throughout 2007. These amendments were offered by taxpayer heroes Senators Tom Coburn (R-OK) and Jim DeMint (R-SC).

“For all the talk about fiscal responsibility, it is clear that many senators are more interested in securing pet projects than living up to their campaign promises,” said Club for Growth President Pat Toomey. “Fortunately, taxpayers can look at the Club for Growth’s House and Senate RePORK Cards and hold their senators and representatives accountable for wasting taxpayer dollars on hippie museums and beaches.”

Some interesting numbers to consider:

Only three senators received a perfect score of 100% (and were present for a majority of the votes): Senators Tom Coburn (R-OK), Jim DeMint (R-SC), and Richard Burr (R-NC).

The only senator receiving a 0% was Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) who voted against all 10 anti-pork amendments he was present for.

The average Republican score was 59%; the average Democratic score was 12%.
The best scoring Democrat was Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) with an impressive 80%, tying with or scoring better than thirty-nine Republican senators.

Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) scored a 53%; Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) scored a 7%, voting for only one amendment.

Only two amendments were successful. The most popular amendment was offered by Senator DeMint to bar the use of funds appropriated for spinach growers in the Iraq Supplemental Bill (Roll Call #123, 03/29/07); it passed 97-0. The other amendment was offered by Senator Coburn to eliminate $1 million for a museum dedicated to the Woodstock Festival (Roll Call #377, 10/18/07); it passed 52-42.

If you would like to see how your senator voted, there is a complete list available at the above link.

We need Senator’s to continue to introduce legislation such as these anti pork bills or we will all be working additional months each year before our paycheck is actually belongs to us and not the government.

Well, the founding fathers did intend for the Senate to be the saucer to cool the hot coffee from the House, so it makes sense the Senate is the one barrier to complete dictatorial powers by any one party.

Nancy Pelosi is openly critical of the Senate now.

Frustrated by lack of legislative progress in the Senate, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is increasingly touting Democratic achievements in the House.

Her statements represent a significant shift from the stance she took six months ago. In March, the Speaker celebrated the first 100 days of the congressional majority by stating, “Democrats have brought the winds of change to the Capitol.”

These days, she’s confined to claiming those winds are blowing on her side of the building. In the minds of her caucus members, the Senate is in the doldrums and House members are paying the price for Senate inaction on Democratic priorities.

When pressed on the slow progress of spending bills during ABC’s Sunday morning talk show “This Week,” Pelosi passed the buck to the Senate, saying, “In the House we’ve passed every one of our bills.”

The change in talking points at the top reflects a deepening frustration among House Democrats, who are irritated with lack of progress in the Senate and are starting to publicly press their Senate counterparts to stop letting Republicans use procedural tactics and instead force Republicans to carry out a filibuster, if that’s what it takes.

Pelosi’s shift in rhetoric is also strategic. There are 61 House Democrats serving in districts that President Bush carried in 2004, and many will face challenging reelection races. Senate Democrats have less to worry about as only a couple of them are considered serious targets this cycle.

“I think it would be important for the American people to get a more concrete understanding of the lengths Republicans will go to in order to hold these things up,” said Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.).

I’d say it’s the same lengths the Democrats went to in the last Congress.

I’d also give a piece of advice to the Democrats in the Senate, just as I said about the Republicans under Frist. Get a new leader and see if he can work out compromises so you can pass your bills. Without compromise nothing will pass.

Matt Margolis at GOP Bloggers links to this on-line petition the Democrats have put forth in their latest effort to embarrass Rush Limbaugh.

If you believe this is just another attempt by the Democrats with the help of Media Matters and their ilk to silence conservative voices, Representative Cantor is offering an e-petition of his own in support of Rush.

I do not have the opportunity to listen to talk radio in the afternoon, but I do read the transcripts of many of the conservative voices from time to time. Whether I agree or not with their views, this attempt to silence those with opinions just because they are of another political persuasion must be stopped. Please take the time to look over the petition from Representative Cantor and if you are so inclined, add your name to the list.

New Mexico Senator Pete Domenici is expected to announce on Thursday that he intends to retire at the end of this term, which expires next November.

I believe reader David M has told us his popularity has dropped like a rock with New Mexico voters, and if he didn’t tell us he went around everywhere with an aide to help him move, I read that bit of information someplace else. I’m just not sure if David told us that or if I read it.

Expected to make a run for his seat: Rep. Heather Wilson, whom David told us is less popular than she was last year when she won re-election, Rep. Steve Pearce on the Republican side and Rep. Tom Udall on the Democratic side. (Those Udalls are all over the west, aren’t they?)

Other possible Democratic contenders could be Albuquerque Mayor Martin J. Chavez and state Lt. Gov. Diane Denish.

The Senator is retiring for health reasons, but did say he went through hell this year when the Senate Ethics panel investigated whether he and Wilson had influenced a corruption probe against Democrats by contacting later fired US Attorney Iglesias.

By the way, have you noticed we haven’t heard anymore about the “scandal” of firing US Attorneys since Gonzales resigned? Think it was all show and no action for the sake of politics? Hmmm.

The National Defense Authorization Act passed the Senate yesterday but with no assistance from the front runners in the Presidential race on the Democratic Side.

I had not realized that the Senate passed the Defense Department authorization yesterday until the Standard commented on it this morning. The spending bill passed overwhelmingly, 92-3, with only Robert Byrd, Tom Coburn, and Russ Feingold in opposition. Tellingly, the Democrats running for office from the Senate all managed to miss the vote — Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Chris Dodd, and Joe Biden.

Maybe they were just to concerned with condemning Rush Limbaugh.

On Monday, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) stepped onto the floor of the Senate and strongly denounced talk radio host Rush Limbaugh for what have proven to be out of context statements made by the conservative personality on his program last Wednesday.

It appears however, that those 41 Senators who signed this document will be disappointed as according to this letter the CEO of Clear Channel has no designs on removing or even disciplining Rush Limbaugh.

Perhaps Mr. May will also be worthy of a condemnation by what used to be the most deliberative body in Washington. I say used to be because in so many cases now, they appear more like kindergarten than grown, intelligent men and women.

Or maybe they should look back and see what one of their own said about those who purchase and wear medals which they have not earned:

“Shame on those who claim credit for acts of courage they did not commit, their lies are criminal” said Salazar. “Medal recipients are often too humble to parade their honors. By letting the phonies continue their masquerade, we diminish the honor of our true heroes. Federal law enforcement agents are willing to go after these frauds, Congress needs to provide the tools necessary to get the job done.”

So let’s see, those running for the highest office in the land would not commit themselves on a vote for the Defense Appropriations Bill, as that vote, be it yay or nay might harm them politically. But they can find the time to condemn a conservative talk radio host for a comment which has been well explained and as noted in this article has not even become a favorite target of the MSM.

I have my own opinion on which issue assists the voters in making their choice next November. Rush Limbaugh is just another voice on the radio, but the defense of our country is something on which I would like to know the stance of each individual candidate. If running for political cover is more important than convictions, then personally, I do not want to see any one of these Senators achieve their goal of CIC.

There is a great post at Politico rehashing the latest defeat in the Senate of another “surrender measure.”

Yet another Democratic amendment on Iraq failed Friday morning, and this one didn’t even earn a majority of Senate votes. The vote was 47-47 on an amendment sponsored by Sens. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and Jack Reed (D-R.I.) that would have required a change of mission in Iraq while mandating firm timetables for withdrawal. The amendment needed 60 votes to pass, and three Democrats voted against the measure, making it clear that no matter how Democrats craft their legislation, a majority of senators are uncomfortable mandating time tables for troop withdrawal. Three Republicans, Sens. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, Olympia Snowe of Maine and Gordon Smith of Oregon, backed the measure.

I don’t know what it is going to do to convince Harry Reid that he is fighting a battle he cannot win and in my opinion the longer he continues to present this type of legislation, the worse it will become for the Democrats.

“Harry Reid has called up the same amendments for the same votes and gotten the same results - more gridlock on Iraq,” said Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.). “Instead of posturing for political gain, it’s time for the Senate’s leaders to sit down with those of us trying to find a consensus.”

But Reid has clearly made a calculation that he would rather force votes on firm troop withdrawal amendments instead of allowing bipartisan votes on moderate measures that may win a lot of support but wouldn’t force the president’s hand on the war.

“I ask my Republican colleagues for the courage and wisdom to join the American people and bring our troops home,” Reid said Friday morning. “Courage and wisdom demands that we do such.”

I think if Mr. Reid wishes to understand courage and wisdom, perhaps he should take a few minutes and read this speech presented by Marine Maj. General John Kelly. He just might learn a thing or two.

This fight is today, not against some potential peer competitor that might emerge 30 years from now, and will be with us for another generation or more. Our enemy is on a 100 year campaign to victory, and believes without question that he is winning. We, on the other hand, look out two years at best and seem to be wavering and looking for a way to rationalize our way out. The problem is our enemy is not willing to let us go. Regardless of how much we wish this bad dream would go away, he will stay with us until he hurts us so badly we surrender, or we kill him first. To him this is not about jobs, economic opportunity, or solving social problems in the Middle East. It is about way of life, about everyman’s and every woman’s worth and equality in the eyes of the law, about the God given rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. He doesn’t believe in these cherished concepts - we do. Our positions are irreconcilable.

Both links provide a great read if you have a few spare moments on a Friday night.

The Senate has voted to condemn the Moveon.org ad which slandered General Petraeus. Those who voted yes are to be applauded.

I am appalled to think that a candidate running for President of the United States voted No.

Mrs. Clinton should be ashamed of herself.

This vote proves once again that Mrs. Clinton will use our good men and women as no more than pawns in some political game. She is certainly not CIC material.

If she should be elected who will she call to defend our nation, Moveon.org? A strong nation needs a strong defense which has finally begun to recover under President Bush. Another Clinton Presidency I fear will not continue in this vein.

The balance of the No votes are at the link above.

HT: Instapundit

Update: Via Captains Quarters this comment from Mitt Romney:

“Hillary Clinton had a choice. She could stand with our troop commander in Iraq, or she could stand with the libelous left wing of her party. She chose the latter. The idea that she would be a credible commander-in-chief of our armed forces requires the willing suspension of disbelief.”

Indeed.

Welcome to the Anchoress readers. Take a look around and see if you find something that catches your eye.

It appears the “enemy combatants” held at Guantanamo Bay will not receive the right to be heard in US Federal Courts anytime soon.

A move to give terrorism suspects the right to challenge their detentions in federal court fell short in the Senate today, even though it had majority support.

Fifty-six senators voted to cut off debate, and move forward to a vote on the bill itself, a step known as cloture. But under Senate rules, 60 votes are needed to invoke cloture.

Some supporters of the bill said they might bring it up again, although it was not clear just when.

It is beyond me why anyone would believe that these individuals are entitled to the use of our courts to make a mockery of our system and of this country. These individuals are not US citizens, therefore not protected under our Constitution.

The names of those Republicans who voted for this measure should come as no surprise to anyone, but Joe Lieberman once again stepped to the plate and did not vote with the party he for so long called his own.

Besides Mr. Specter, five other Republican Senators supported the measure. They were Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, Richard G. Lugar of Indiana, Gordon Smith of Oregon, Olympia J. Snowe of Maine and John E. Sununu of New Hampshire. Senator Bernard Sanders, independent of Vermont, also voted for it.

Senator Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut, who lists himself as an independent Democrat, was the only non-Republican to vote against it. Senator Saxby Chambliss, Republican of Georgia, did not vote.

I believe in civil rights, however, when it comes to those who are bent on the destruction of this country I draw the line and applaud the majority of Republican Senators for standing pat on this issue.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has said he will block any potential nomination of Theodore Olson as Attorney General.

“Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid vowed on Wednesday to block former Solicitor General Theodore Olson from becoming attorney general if President George W. Bush nominates him to replace Alberto Gonzales. …

…”He’s a partisan, and the last thing we need as an attorney general is a partisan,” Reid told Reuters in a brief hallway interview on Capitol Hill.

We certainly don’t want partisans in Washington, do we? Especially one with an impeccable record and credentials.

The White House says it hasn’t made a decision yet on who will get the nod for AG, but it appears whoever it is will be filibustered by the Democrats anyway.

It’s a good thing our founding fathers are dead or they’d all die from the sheer horror of what is happening in the country they founded. All for the party (either one) and never mind the good of the country.

There is only so much that can be repeated as to the partianship in Washington, but I have actually been ashamed of those on the left who have rabidly attacked a man they voted to place in Command of the Multinational Forces in Iraq.

I believe after reading this, Senator McConnell has had about enough also.

About General Petraeus:

He’s proven his devotion to this country. His integrity is above reproach. And any suggestion to the contrary is totally absurd and demonstrably untrue.

“And so I resent the comments of those who have sat comfortably in their air-conditioned offices, thousands of miles away from the firefights and the roadside bombs, and tried their Washington best in recent days to impugn the general’s good name.

“The Democratic Majority sent him into battle by a unanimous vote, funded his mission, and asked him to report back on progress. And when he returns, is he greeted with the respect and appreciation his service deserves? No. He’s attacked again, at home, by some of the very Democratic senators who confirmed him.

“They’re following the lead of the left-wing groups that placed a full-page ad in today’s New York Times, questioning the character of a four-star general who has the respect and admiration of the more than 150,000 brave men and women serving under his command. These childish tactics are an insult to everyone fighting for our freedom in Iraq, and they should be condemned.

“Republicans have tried to maintain a level of civility in this debate. We’ve let most of the rhetorical excesses of the other side slide, knowing that tempers are bound to flare in this charged environment. But the effort to discredit General Petraeus personally over the past few days is completely and totally out of bounds. It needs to be recognized as such, and it needs to end — right now.

“The early effort to undermine his mission was troubling enough. Scarcely had a fraction of the additional soldiers or Marines landed in Iraq before we started hearing the voices of defeat. Amazingly, some Democrats who had called for a surge before January, would then label the policy a failure two full months before it fully began. Others said the war was lost even as these soldiers and Marines were being sent into battle.

This is just a small portion of the entire speech the Senator delivered this morning. Please read it all. It is only my hope that others on the Right will stand to defend this Commander as Senator McConnell has.

Update: Also check out this piece by Colonel Repya at Captains Quarters. Below is the final paragraph of his post.

This week our enemies gleefully will watch this public display of political theater unfold, complete with repeated partisan attacks on a good and honorable man. General Petraeus is an impeccably honest leader and soldier, a man who has dedicated his life to the service of this great nation in time of war and peace. His family has suffered the same long and painful separations all military families have endured. Yet Senate Democrats have already questioned his honesty and others will attempt to shed him of his dignity. Meanwhile, their accomplices in the media will attempt to raise questions as to the accuracy and validity of his report and testimony. This is the shameful state of American politics today. For General Petraeus and the men and women in our military that he represents to be subjected to this circus during wartime is beyond the pale of human decency. Is there any wonder when polled that the American people claim so little faith in our Congress?

Well said sir.

Update 2: Courtesy of a link from Politico, here is a transcript of General Petraeus’s remarks this morning before House committees. This is followed by a link to the opening statement of Ambassador Crocker.

John Warner has decided to not seek re-election.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Sen. John Warner, R-Va., announced Friday he will not seek re-election in 2008, concluding a long carreer that has hoisted him to one of the pre-eminent voices on U.S. foreign policy.

The announcement leaves open a seat that is likely to be hotly contested in the Republican-leaning state that has recenty had a tendency to elect Democrats to statewide offices.

Maybe George Allen will take another stab at being in the Senate.

I guess this Senate has been so busy passing real legislation they have the time to entertain censure motions and get into another filibuster.

WASHINGTON — Liberal Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold said Sunday he wants Congress to censure President Bush for his management of the Iraq war and his “assault” against the Constitution.

But Feingold’s own party leader in the Senate showed little interest in the idea. An attempt in 2006 by Feingold to censure Bush over the warrantless spying program attracted only three co-sponsors.

Feingold, a prominent war critic, said he soon plans to offer two censure resolutions — measures that would amount to a formal condemnation of the Republican president.

The first would seek to reprimand Bush for, as Feingold described it, getting the nation into war without adequate military preparation and for issuing misleading public statements. The resolution also would cite Vice President Dick Cheney and perhaps other administration officials.

The second measure would seek to censure Bush for what the Democrat called a continuous assault against the rule of law through such efforts as the warrantless surveillance program against suspected terrorists, Feingold said. It would also ask for a reprimand of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and maybe others.

Complete story here.

We have always heard the Senate is an exclusive club and the world’s most deliberative body. Our founders pictured the House of Representatives as a cup of hot tea, while the Senate was the saucer to cool that tea.

That was then. This is now:

Arlen Specter is a senior United States senator who expects to be allowed his say on the Senate floor. So he bristled when Senator Harry Reid, the majority leader, brusquely cut him off at the end of the Iraq debate.

“The leadership is setting a dictatorial tone,” Mr. Specter, Republican of Pennsylvania, said Thursday, still furious over his treatment the day before. “Senators didn’t get here to be pushed around.”

It may seem small-minded to bicker over a few words at the end of a 24-hour debate. But the clash between the two veteran senators is evidence of a larger breakdown in relations in the Senate, a deterioration in cooperation that is hobbling the Senate’s ability to get things done. The situation is not likely to improve with a presidential election on the horizon.

To read the full exchange and background on Specter’s remarks go to the Las Vegas Review/Journal.

Some have argued that the problem is caused by having a 51-49 Senate, but we have had close Senates before and we have not seen the lack of comity that we are now seeing.

“The last vestiges of courtesy seem to be going out the window,” said Senator Trent Lott, the Mississippi Republican who has served as majority and minority leader. “Every time I think the Senate — Republican or Democrat — has gone to a point where you can’t go any lower, we go lower.”

It is hardly startling that members of the two parties do not see eye to eye. And the spirit of bipartisanship in the Senate always rises and falls depending on the subject and the election calendar. But seven months into the new Democratic regime, the environment seems unusually hostile. Occasionally, senators do, too, as exhibited in a Sunday television exchange between Senators Jim Webb, Democrat of Virginia, and Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, that looked for a moment as if it might turn physical as the two men argued about the war in Iraq.

It’s sad for me, as an American citizen raised to love her country and respect its institutions of government, to see what this Senate has become.

It’s sadder yet that I make the comment that I would not be surprised to see the Senators come to fisticuffs the way we see it happen in the Japanese legislature and other countries in the world.

This is not the America I want. I want a government I can be proud of—a government that can work together as co-equal branches. Party affiliation should not matter.

What do you want? Bickering for sport or meaningful legislation that is passed regardless of political agendas for the good of the country?

They are doing something.

The Senate overwhelmingly approved a wide-ranging overhaul of student loan programs early today that would pay for more than $17 billion in grants and other student aid by slashing subsidies to lending companies.

Democrats and student advocates said the legislation, which passed in a 78 to 18 vote, would help millions of Americans pay for college in a time of steady and often steep tuition increases. But lenders and some Republicans said the measure would hurt students by making it unprofitable for many companies to issue such loans.

Story

Your taxpayer dollars hard at work.

The NYT The Caucus column has a headline that perfectly describes the Senate in this session of Congress:

The peas, carrots and kernels of corn weren’t flying in the Senate chamber, but that’s only because dinner is served elsewhere — otherwise democracy descended into a near-food fight as a Republican effort to block a vote on a higher education bill turned into a fusillade of politically charged amendments to the bill with no other purpose than to insult and infuriate the other side of the aisle.

Then, Mr. Salazar rose to speak: “It is regrettable that we work here, regrettable that we work here on the future of our country for our children…

I agree with you wholeheartedly, Sen. Salazar. It is regrettable that you all work there.

Meanwhile, the senators milled about like guests at a cocktail party with no drinks.

Did the Senate run out of Juicy-Juice and sippy cups?

For a good Friday morning laugh, follow the link in the above paragraph.

This is a good read, enjoy.

Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) isn’t giving an inch on revealing his plans.

No matter that he hasn’t raised much money for a 2008 reelection bid (fueling speculation that he will not run for a sixth term). Or that this influential legislator on defense matters is challenging the White House’s policy on Iraq (suggesting perhaps that he’ll stick around to finish business
Right now, he will say only that he remains focused on passing the proposal he introduced last week with Sen. Dick Lugar (R-Ind.) to revisit what he calls the “obsolete” war authorization and require the administration to begin drawing up nonbinding troop redeployment plans. Majority Leader Harry Reid yesterday postponed votes on the defense authorization bill and any war-related amendments, including Warner’s, because Republicans demanded a 60-vote margin for passage. But Warner was undaunted.

“We can’t have any more loss of life. We need to restore the loss of credibility in some measure of the country and remain a respected source of authority in that region,” said Warner, 80. “We want to bring a measure of stability to Iraq, but at the same time, this needs to be brought to a conclusion.”

As a longtime senior Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Warner is a highly respected voice on the conflict. The World War II veteran and former Navy secretary startled Republicans last year when he returned from a trip to Iraq and said that the country seemed to be “drifting sideways.” And as the Armed Services Committee’s chairman during the Abu Ghraib scandal, he raised eyebrows when he insisted in 2004 that Donald Rumsfeld, the defense secretary at the time, testify under oath.

Story

One more nail in the coffin of the Republican Senate.
Don’t be fooled. This has nothing to do with the war but everything to do with Politics.

Senate Democrats halted their quest to change President Bush’s war strategy yesterday after Republicans blocked a proposal to begin withdrawing troops from Iraq.

After the vote, which followed a rare all-night debate, Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) startled colleagues by announcing that the Senate would not vote on several other proposals intended to force Bush to revisit his war plans. Although war critics in both parties had supported the measures, Reid and other Democratic leaders dismissed them as too weak. Instead, they are holding firm in their bid to persuade GOP critics of Bush’s Iraq policy to embrace more aggressive Democratic measures to begin withdrawing troops.
Reid’s move was hailed by antiwar groups, which have urged Democrats not to compromise. But his decision may also have the effect of providing Bush with an opportunity that he has wanted: 60 more days to make his case that the war is making progress.

Yesterday’s 52 to 47 vote signaled that a slim Senate majority supports bringing home most combat forces by May 1, 2008, and came amid indications in recent weeks that a growing number of Republicans are concerned about progress in Iraq. Although Democrats won four Republican defectors, they fell eight votes short of the 60 needed to overcome the GOP’s procedural objections.

After the results were tallied, Reid asked GOP leaders to accept simple-majority votes. When they refused, Reid announced that the debate would be suspended, possibly until after Labor Day or until Republicans dropped their filibuster. He called the 60-vote requirement “a new math that was developed by the Republicans to protect the president.”

The vote followed 24 hours of Iraq speeches on the Senate floor, stretching from 11 a.m. Tuesday until yesterday’s 11 a.m. vote. Cots that had been brought in for the overnight session were wheel